Amanda McVey she/her

Working title of PhD: Realities of Release: On the Cusp of Transition

Institution: University of Strathclyde

Year Commenced: 2024

Full or part-time: Full-time

Funding Source: University of Strathclyde

Supervisors: Beth Weaver and Laura Piacentini

Synopsis: 

My research seeks to explain the experience of an incarcerated individual transitioning from prison to society. This research will comprise a quasi-longitudinal qualitative study, consisting of four semi-structured interviews with approximately ten individuals serving a long prison sentence, on the cusp of release. These interviews will occur immediately before and following release, ideally in three-month increments (three months prior to release, and one, three, and six months post-release). Individuals will be recruited from various prisons in Scotland. Inclusion criteria include long-term prisoners nearing release, serving sentences of four years or more, and therefore subject to supervision on release.

This research seeks to answer the following questions and gain a more comprehensive understanding of this transition so we are better equipped to support those undergoing this change.

1. How do shorter- and longer-term prisoners variously anticipate release, and how, if at all, does sentence length affect their experience as they adjust to life in the community?
2. What is the psycho-social legacy of incarceration and how does it shape immediate post-release experiences following a lengthy sentence?
3. How do people experience the pre-release processes, the moment of release, and the immediate post-release phase?
4. What shapes these experiences, and how do they change over time?
5. What anticipated and unanticipated [structural, relational, individual] challenges do incarcerated individuals face upon release, and how do they navigate these?
6. What can we learn about society from studying reintegration?